Sighisoara

Founded by German craftsmen and merchants known as the Saxons of Transylvania, Sighisoara is a fine example of a small, fortified medieval town which played an important strategic and commercial role on the fringes of central Europe for several centuries. The city is an outstanding testimony to the culture of the Transylvanian Saxons, a culture that is coming to a close after 850 years and will continue to exist only through its architectural and urban monuments. Sighisoara is an outstanding example of a small fortified city in the border region between the Latin-oriented culture of central Europe and the Byzantine-Orthodox culture of south-eastern Europe. The apparently unstoppable process of emigration by the Saxons, the social stratum which had formed and upheld the cultural traditions of the region, threatens the survival of their architectural heritage as well. The city of Sighisoara has been inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1999. It is located at the river Tarneve-Mare and is composed of two parts: the old city and the new city, which was developed in the past 60 years. Sighisoara has a total of 35000 inhabitants, 8000 live in the old town, the medieval citadel.